Unboxing Videos Unwrapped (Create Videos People Will Like)

‘Tis the season for unboxing videos!

Whatever your reason for celebration, chances are you have a gift or two coming your way this winter — or at least some serious post-holiday sales shopping. That means it’s the perfect time for you to stretch your vlogging muscles with unboxing videos for your favorite (or least favorite) new toys.

The concept of an unboxing video is all in the name. You unbox, or act like you’re unboxing a product for the first time, and review it for all your followers or other potential consumers to see. Maybe you’re just doing this as a fun clip for your friends and family to start with, but if you do it right, you could build your brand with a unique series of unboxing videos that speaks to your lifestyle, profession, or passion.

People have created incredibly imaginative and helpful content build upon the basic framework of the unboxing video. Take Dylan Marron from YouTube’s Seriously.TV for example. He actually began “unboxing” intangible concepts and ideas to create awareness around important social issues and other controversial subjects. He has over 103 thousand likes now on Facebook alone. Another popular unboxing channel focuses solely on opening Kinder Surprise eggs! This channel has over 4 million followers on YouTube. Just for opening candy egg! Read more about the toy unboxing phenomena in these articles by Thrillest and Mental Floss.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned vet of unboxing videos, there’s always more you can do to make your latest review stand out from the crowd. So before you start tearing at those ribbons and bow, read over these three key guidelines for unboxing video success.

Get Up Close & Personal

Be personal with your audience! People who watch unboxing videos are looking for one – or two – things: insight and entertainment. And nobody likes insight from a stick-in-the-mud or pretentious voice in the sky; so be real with your viewers. Talk to them like they’re your real-life friends. Give them your most honest thoughts and opinions in an open but kind way that helps them out, but also encourages them to have thought for themselves a little. That being said, if part of your personality is biting wit or a penchant for all things wacky and wild — don’t hold back. The information you present might be valuable but your personality will keep viewers coming back.

In a more literal sense, let your viewers get up close and personal with the item you’re reviewing. Make sure they can see every little feature, especially if it’s part of your review. This might mean holding your objects up to the camera when necessary or creating a multi-camera setup with some stationary tight-shots on your object of focus.

Keep it Quick

Part of your personality may be that you have a lot of opinions. That’s great for making unboxing videos! Just be sure to be thoughtful about which opinions you share. Review and rehearse your ideas before filming to decide which comments should have priority over others. Your unboxing video should be thorough, but not epic (in the long sense, not the awesome sense).

If you review all your comments and critiques and think each one is necessary, go for it. Some products or ideas are just more complex than others. Just make every second count. The most effective videos on the internet are usually under five minutes, but once you have a following, people will be more willing to spend time listening to you.

Keep ‘Em Coming

Don’t wait too long between publishing videos! Give the people what they want!

But seriously, if you have something worth sharing, keep sharing it. When you finish one video, announce when viewers can expect to see the next, and stick to it. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for follows and likes at the end of your videos either, but if you do, you gotta hold up your end of the bargain. Make more videos! It’s good for you as a creator, too. With each new unboxing will come new experiences and vlogging savvy that will make you a better videographer with a bigger audience.

Now that you have the tips, just get the gifts! After the holidays is the perfect time to get going with your own unboxing series, and maybe even make a resolution to publish more in the new year!

Need video creation software or more filming tips? Download Cinamaker for iOS today and take a look at our Cinamaker blog.

Happy holidays and happy Cinamaking!